Jake Gyllenhaal Enters Into First-Look With Bold Films

After a successful collaboration on the critically-acclaimed feature Nightcrawler, Jake Gyllenhaal and Bold Films have joined hands in a first-look deal where the actor will acquire and develop new material. The deal was just announced by Bold Films CEO Gary Michael Walters and comes just weeks after the actor’s turn in Antoine Fuqua’s gritty boxing drama Southpaw. Gyllenhaal has also hired Riva Marker as the production executive for his new company (as yet unnamed). Most recently, Marker served as President of Production and a producer at Red Crown Productions. She, along with Daniela Taplin and Daniel Crown, launched the New York-based development and finance entity in 2010 where they produced seven feature films, including the forthcoming Cary Fukunaga-directed Beasts of No Nation, starring Idris Elba, which sold to Netflix.

Marker is currrently a producer on Jason Bateman’s sophomore directing vehicle The Family Fang based on the NY Times bestselling book. It stars Bateman, Nicole Kidman and Christopher Walken.

Gyllenhaal’s relationship with Bold Films came about from his role in Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler which Bold Films co-financed and produced. Gyllenhaal’s also served as a producer on the film, which received BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG, Critics’ Choice, and Independent Spirit Award nominations and was recognized as Best Actor of 2014 from numerous critics groups.

Earlier this year, Gyllenhaal made his Broadway debut in Nick Payne’s Constellations and his musical theater debut in the Encores! production of Little Shop of Horrors. Next month he stars in Everest for Working Title, Universal and Walden Media.

Bold Films also produced and financed the critically-acclaimed and multiple Academy nomiated Whiplash from writer-director Damien Chazelle starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons (for which he won a Best Supporting Oscar; the film won two others). Earlier this year, Warner Bros. released Lost River, Bold Films’ third collaboration with Ryan Gosling, which marked his debut as a writer and director.

The next film for Bold will be John Erick Dowdle’s action thriller No Escape which stars Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan and Lake Bell on August 26 via The Weinstein Company. “We are thrilled to be back in business with Jake. I truly enjoy our artistic collaboration,” said Bold Films Chairman Michel Litvak in a statement.“His impeccable taste in projects and deep knowledge of how to make high quality films make him a formidable producer.”

Bold’s Karen Barna, SVP business and legal affairs handled the negotiations for Bold. Gyllenhaal is repped by WME and Bloom Hergott.